SYDENHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5840, 6 April 1897, Page 1

SYDENHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

m ._ \ An ordinary meeting of the Sydenhfun Borough Council was held hist evening ; present — the Mayor (Mr N. K. Bowden), Councillors Murray, Halloy, Muffett, Hndfield, Large, Caygill, Laft'erty, Hirtzell, Manhire, Bell and Cutler. In response to a request, the Council granted its patronage to a concert and dance which the Bootmakers' Union had arranged to be held on April 14, for the benefit of one of its members. The Secretary to the Drainage Board, under date April 1, forwarded a letter received on April 2, covering the resolutions passed by the Board on Thursday last, and giving the Council notice that the permit for the connection of the nightsoii depot with the Board's sewers would be rescinded after the expiration of seven days from the service of the notice, and further, that after the expiration of that period the Board's engineer would disconnect the depot from the sewer. Under date April 2 a second letter from the Engineer stated that, he purposed,, if necessary, to cut off the connection between the tank and the sewer by plugging the inlet in the man-hole of the sewer opposite the tank. If, in the meantime, he received a written undertaking that, after the expiration of the seven days' notice, the Council would not use the tank or ' drain for the purpose of conveying matter into the Hoard's sewers without a new and express authority from the Board,i the necessity for cutting oft' the connection woulrl, h<? thought, bo obviated. In the meantime the Board would grant the Council ppi-nission to deposit nightsoil on its sewtfge farm reserve for one month froi'i date, subject to the Council conforming to the terms and conditions, prior to having a deed executed. Councillor Hadfield said those who had been at the Drainage Board's meeting last Thursday could see that the members of that body had made up their minds before they came to the meeting. The treatment the Sydenham Borough Council had received from the Drainage Board had 3iot been such as one local body might expect to receive from another. He moved — " That the letters from the Drainage Board bo received and referred to the Sanitary and Finance Committees and the chairmen of the other committees, with power to act." Councillor Muffett seconded the motion. Councillor Lafferty took exception to the action of the Sydenham representative on the Drainage Board (Mr E. M. Taylor), who, he said, had never been near the depot. • . Councillor Caygill said it was a farce for the Drainage Board to assume the position of complainants and informants in this case, and then wish to act as judges too. The statements about the ashes, &c, being found in the sewers were being dragged in to buttress up a weak case. Councillor Muffett said there seemed to him to be a considerable amount of backing down in the Board's second letter. Councillor Cutler said that at the Drainage Board's meeting on Thursday statements had been made that one night recently the pipe at the depot had been blocked and an abominablo nuisance caused. Both statements were untrue. . Councillor Bell pointed out that when the scheme was initiated/ the City Council had stated that the i üblic health would be endangered, and yet statistics showed that during the quarter ending March 31; 1897 only seventeen typhoid patients had been admitted to the hospital, as against tf&rtytwo for the same quarter last year. The Mayor said the City Council and the Drainage Board had acted in a cry arbitrary manner towards the Sydenham Council. Councillor Caygill said the City Council was justified in its action, as it wished to divert attention from its own barbarous method. (Laughter.) The motion was then put and carried unanimously. The Works and Eeserves Committee reported that, having considered a letter from Mr John Small asking for compensation for buildings on Reserve No. 237!), it recommended taat he should be referred to tho Council's letter of June 17, lS9b', on the question. The committee also recommended that an application from the Sydenham Football Club for the exclusive use of tiydenham Park for a football match on Saturday, April 17, should be granted on condition that, the club paid for advertising and allowed the Council one-third of the net gate takings, with a minimum of <£2. If the weather proved too wet for the match on April 17 the club to have the use of the gro*und on Monday, April 19. The report was adopted. The Cemetery Committee requested authority to expend .£2O on improvements to the cemetery, required before winter. The authority was given. The Finance Committee reported that during the past fortnight tho receipts had been — General account .£326 10s, interest account £5 los lid, separate accounts £W 15s 7d, total .£349 Is Gd. The' balance of rates for IS9G uncollected was =-618:3 16s ud. Accounts amounting to <£I^(j Ss 5d were passed for payment. The committee recommended that Mr Throp should be instructed to collect charges for scavengers' work done by the Council during the past quarter at the same r.ites as those collected by Mr Ditfort, and also that the Council should decline to pay tho increased charge for the telephone, and have it disconnected. Tho report was adopted. Councillor Lafferty was appointed to act with Councillor Large at the meeting with reference to dairy insjsection to be held to-night. The date of the next meetinsr was fixed for Fiiday, April 23, and the Council then adjourned.